WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - The shooting death of Libya's rebel military commander is a challenge for the country's opposition, which must now focus on promoting unity within its ranks, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States was looking into Thursday's killing of Abdel Fattah Younes in Benghazi, and had made no judgment as to who might be responsible for the attack.
But Toner said the assassination -- a blow to the Western-backed forces fighting to topple Muammar Gaddafi -- underscored challenges facing the rebel National Transitional Council as it seeks to lead an eventual democratic transition in Libya.
"What's important is that they work both diligently and transparently to ensure the unity of the Libyan opposition," Toner told a news briefing. (reporting by Andrew Quinn; editing by Todd Eastham)
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